


The Darkness Stares Back With Brighter Eyes Than Mine

by KC_R



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, He's scared of losing what he has left, Infanticide, PK has done some awful shit this time around, PK is terrified of the Lord of Shades, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29210025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KC_R/pseuds/KC_R
Summary: The King of Hallownest patiently awaits his pure vessel. He will not let any other vessel live. Grimm does not agree with his methods, but the King does not have the stomach to risk what could be the end of his Kingdom.
Relationships: Grimm & The Pale King (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 25





	The Darkness Stares Back With Brighter Eyes Than Mine

The deep, dark chasm beneath him stared back with a hateful and threatening glare. He tightened his grip on the metal platform, squinting, tired eyes scanning the many platforms that served as a way to escape from the pit. 

A lone vessel climbed towards him, jumping and climbing towards his light with ease. Its sword fell from its back and it turned back to grab it. He felt his gut twist and immediately threw a dagger toward it, cutting it clean in half and casting its corpse back to the depths from whence it came. Relief washed over him as he watched its corpse join the thousands deep below him. He wasn’t done yet, he had to keep waiting, watching for that pure vessel to come along.

He almost fell to the depths of his dreams, being snapped awake by the memory of that gargantuan hand closing around him, threatening to stain his bright light and suffocate him, the eight shining white eyes staring into him with hate and malice.

“Wyrm.” A familiar voice called out. He froze, head turning towards the figure at the entrance to the Abyss, icy gaze boring into their darkened outline.

“Do not call me that, that is not my name.” He hissed, turning his attention back to the depths of the Abyss. He could see another vessel beginning its ascent and he found his knees buckling again. He could barely stand, collapsing onto the platform and staring at the toddler-sized monster that he knew could bring about not only his death, but also the deaths of every single individual he knew and loved.

“Then what do you wish for me to call you? Your Shimmering Majesty? The Pale King? The Eternal Hips? The forbidden name that you said I can never call you?” Grimm asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the humongous door frame. He didn’t let his eyes turn away from the pit.

“You can call me by my name. It is Ambrosia, it is the name that my Root gave me.” He answered, watching as another pair of vessels began their ascent. The one that had been climbing tripped, landing on a spike, their mask splitting open and their body going still. If these things were anything else but the very monster who had once flooded his mind and threatened to tear him apart from the inside out, if it wasn’t the demon who mixed their blood with void, he would feel awful about what he is doing. He already does, but he would feel much worse if these things didn't have the power to revive the void given focus. 

“Okay, Ambrosia, when are you going to come home? Everyone is worried about you. Hells, even Unn has awoken from her nap long enough to send a letter asking for your condition. Lurien has been suffering from constant heartache from your absence.” Grimm asked.

“I will come out when I have what I need, when this hole of madness and evil is closed once and for all.” He said, watching the pair of vessels ascend. Neither showed any signs of emotions, of anything. Promising, but he would have to destroy one of them. Perhaps that would be a good test of pureness.

“Wyrm, your obsession with this project is unhealthy at best, devastating to you and your family at worst. You need to come home, you need to rest, the Abyss will still be here when you come back.” Grimm argued.

“Silence! I do not want to hear it! You have not suffered as I have! You do not understand, could not understand, I must stay here until the pure vessel ascends.” He explained, keeping his eyes trained on the pair, focusing his soul to be ready to destroy them if they showed a sign of impurity. 

“Ambrosia, I know what you went through, I saved you from the God of Gods’ grasp, but they are long gone, they cannot harm you again, I promise it. Please come home.” Grimm begged. Grimm’s attention was brought to the pair of vessels as one slipped, reaching out for the other. The other turned back to help them up. “Ambrosia! Don’t you dare!” Grimm screamed, grabbing the King’s arms to stop him. He formed a soul dagger and slashed at Grimm, breaking free of his grasp, before throwing a soul lance at the pair. It exploded on contact with them, instantly obliterating both.

“Thank the gods… Grimm! What do you think you’re doing? Do you know what these things are? Do you know what they could do?!” He screamed.

“What do I think I’m doing? You just murdered a pair of children! What in the name of the Old Gods do you think you’re doing?” Grimm hissed, wiping the blood from the gash that went across his face. The gash that he had put there in his anger.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but you don’t understand! These things are not children! Any one of them could ascend to the position of Lord of Shades! Any single one of them could bring them back, could cause their rebirth! I didn’t want to open this door, to begin with, but I am backed against a wall, I do not want my people to die, and the only way I can ensure that is to make sure nothing but the purest vessel survives.” He tries his best to explain, panic and bile rising in his throat. For a moment he thinks he can feel the Old God’s claws wrap around him again, press void into his skin, and crush his carapace.

“Do you think the inhabitants of the Abyss won’t take offense to this?” Grimm growled, using the heat of his flames to seal his wound, fangs bared.

He is silent for a moment, staring down at Grimm's feet, disappointment radiating from both of them. “There are no more inhabitants.” He says quietly.

“Ambrosia… what did you do?” Grimm asked, horror spreading across his face.

“I did what I had to! Their magics corrupted a Wyrm! I had to fend off a void infected Wyrm as it tried to swallow me and my kingdom whole!” He cries. The Battle of Blackwyrm was another layer of trauma to his already ruined mind. What he could have become if the God of Gods’ had managed to corrupt him. The Blackwyrm was just a taunt, a final attack to show that they aren’t dead. The Blackwyrm had even tried to corrupt him again, wrapping him with its coils and vomiting void onto him. He had hoped he would never feel that endless cold again, but again he did. If it had not been for Ogrim, his most faithful knight, he would have surely lost himself and his family to the Lord of Shades,

“There were still entire villages down there! You could have requested their leave! You could have done a thousand things before you murdered their entire civilization!” Grimm screamed, face red with anger, flames licking up his arms.

He turned away from Grimm, staring down into the Abyss. No more vessels were attempting the climb. “I do not want to hear what you want to say because you do not understand. I have been rendered mortal by the God of Gods’. I have almost lost my mind twice to their eternal darkness. This is the only way forward, I am doing only what I must.” He says. “Leave me to my watch. I will return when I have sealed the Abyss, and there is not a single living shell imbued with the void left.” 

“Well then, Ambrosia, do not be surprised when you return and my tent is gone! I cared greatly about you! I loved you! You have been one of my closest friends for most of my life! You were my family, and you’ve thrown it all away because of your obsession! Instead of enjoying what time you have left with your family, you have spent day after day staring down into this pit of darkness!” Grimm screamed, tears forming in his eyes, which instantly evaporated into vapor. 

The King did not respond, simply staring down. Grimm scowled with disappointment, footsteps echoing as he left, leaving him alone again with nothing but the eternal darkness. Only him and the monster who has taken forever away from him.


End file.
